San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-07-07
CHAPTER XVIII.
WE ABANDON HOPE.

| can give no adequate description Of the
horrors of the n,gli which followed. Merci-
fully they were to some ex ent mtigated by
sleep, for even in such a position az ours,
wearied nature will still sometimes assert
| itself. But |, at any rate, found it impOssi-
| bic to sleep much. Putting aside the terri
flying thought Of our impending dOom-fOr
! the braveSt man on earth might well quail
| from such a fate rs awaited us, and | never
had any great prctension5 to be brave-the
silence itself was too great to allow of it.
And then the irony of the situation forced
| itself upon me. There around us lay treas
ureS enough to pay off moderate national
| debt or to build a fleet of irOn-cladS, and
| yet we would gladly have bartered them all
for the fantcSt chance Of escape. Soon,
doubtless, we should BE- glad to exchange
them for a bit of food Or a cup OF water and,
after that, even for the privilege OF a speedy
close to our sutferings. Truly wealth, which
men spend all their lives in acquiring is
| valueleSS thing at tie last.
| And so the night wore on.
Good" sail Sir Henry's voice at last,
and it sounded awful IN the intense stiffness,
show many matches have you in the bOx?"
Eight, Curtis"
He did 50, and in contrast to the dense
darkness the flame nearly blinded us. II
was five o'clock by NV watch. The heaut
full dawn was now bluShng on the snow
wrraths far over our heads, and the breeze
would be stirring the night mists in the hOl
| lows.
1--WE had better eat something and keep
up our strength - said |.
stANt,f 10 If pafiurry''
| Good; "the sooner we die and get it over
! tn better"
"While there is life there is hope" said
Sir Henry.
Accordingly we ate and slipped some wa
| ter, and another parOi of time passed,
when somebudy suggested that it might be
as we'll to get as near To the door as possible
| and hallOa, on the faint chance Of somebody
catching sound outside Accordingly
Go,h, who. from long practice at sea, had a
fine piercing note, grOpad MS way down the
| passage and began, and | must say lie made
a most diabO.icIl noise. | never heard such
| yclI5; but it might have been mosquito
buzzing for all the effect it produced.
After awhile he gave it up, and came back
very thirsty, and had to have some water
After that We gave up yelling, as it en-.
croached on the supply of water.
| So we all sat down once more against our
| chests of useless diamonds in that dreadful
| inactiOn, which was one of the hardest cir
cumstanceS of our fate; and | anu bound TO
say that, for my part, | gave way in DIES.
| pair. Laying my head against Sir lIenry's
broad shoulders burst into tears; and |
think | heard Good gnlpng away on the
other side, and swearing hOarSely at himself
| for doing SO.
| And so somehow the day went as the
night had gone d. indeed, one can use the
terms where all was denSeSt night, and
when | lit match to see the time it was
| seven o'clock.
Once more we ate and drank, and as we
did 50 an idea occur d to me.
GLOW is it," said /, that the air in this
| place keeps fresh? 1t is thick and heavy,
but 1t is perfectly fresh"
| Great heavenSV said Good, starting up,
II never thought of that. 1t can't come
| through the stone door, for it is alright, if
ever door was. 1t must come from some
| where. If there were No current Of air II
the place we should have Daaa stihOd whep
| first we came i'm. Let MS have a look
| It was wonderful what change this mere
| spark of hope wTOl snt in Ms. In moment
| we were all three gropiu about the place on
| our hands and knees, fr ling for tn slight
est indication Ofa draugnL Pr-ssntle my
! arior received a cheek. put NV hand on
something cold. 1t was poor FOuIata's deaC
! face